Early Birds Neighbourhood Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and excited as they arrive at nursery. Staff greet children positively and help them to settle quickly. Children are keen and curious to explore the resources that staff provide. Older children form good friendships with the other children in the nursery. They play imaginatively and giggle together as they dress up. Younger children form close relationships with their key persons and other staff working with them. They enjoy doing action songs and they snuggle into staff for comfort. Children learn to be independent at managing their own needs and staff support this well. For instance, older children manage their own personal hygiene and they serve their own food and drinks at mealtimes. Even the youngest children learn to be independent. They confidently get themselves a tissue to wipe their own nose.

All children behave well. They listen to staff and are keen to help tidy away the toys when staff tell them to. Children develop useful skills in readiness for starting school. They concentrate well and can focus and engage in activities that require them to listen and take turns.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• The nursery remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions to the children of key workers. Staff remained in contact with the families of the children who were not able to attend. They shared activities during this time to involve families in taking part. On returning to the nursery, staff worked closely with parents to help children to settle back in. Leaders recognise the longer-term impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children and their families. They work with families to provide emotional support, especially as children first start attending the nursery.
• Leaders implement an ambitious curriculum which focuses on children's interests and what children already know to promote further learning. Leaders set high expectations for all children to learn and achieve. However, not all staff have a secure understanding of how to implement their curriculum consistently. At times, they do not recognise when some children need further support to extend their learning.
• Overall, the support in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is good. Parents report that staff and leaders go above and beyond to access support for their children. Leaders access support from other professionals and swiftly put plans in place to ensure that children and their families have the help that they need.
• Staff know the children well. They use good methods to observe and monitor children's development and provide experiences to engage them in learning. However, at times, staff do not use the information that they know and the strategies in place to provide children with the guidance that they need. Some staff do not consider children's learning needs to fully engage children in play and learning.
• Staff working in the baby room are particularly skilled at extending children's vocabulary. They model language and introduce new words that build on what children already know. Staff repeat and reinforce the language as children play alongside them.
• Children develop their physical skills well and staff encourage them to take on challenges as they learn new skills. The youngest children learn how to climb the equipment in the garden as they watch and copy the older children. Staff excitedly praise children for challenging themselves as they successfully climb independently.
• Children develop a love of songs and stories. They eagerly sit down to listen to stories with the group and they access books to look at independently during free play.
• Leaders ensure that additional funding that is accessed for children is used well to target children's specific needs and to close gaps in their learning.
• Partnerships with parents are well established and strong. Parents say that they are very pleased with the care that their children receive. They report that their children love attending nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide staff with support to further embed the curriculum, to offer children more challenge and to extend their learning further
• implement the strategies in place consistently to support all children to engage and be involved in activities.